Door and mirror construction



Se t. 24, 1957 T. B. VON BERG DOOR AND MIRROR CONSTRUCTION Filed June 28, 1955 f7 +f R m 3 N wm m 1M E a w k fi M w W Mm 7 2 2 United States PatentQ DOOR AND MIRROR CONSTRUCTION Theodore B. Von Berg, Stratford, Conn.

Application June 28, 1955, Serial No. 518,461

1 Claim. (Cl. 88-85) This invention relates to sliding door structures for closets and the like, and more particularly to a combination sliding door and mirror structure.

An object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved door and mirror construction for a closet or the like, wherein slidable door members having mirrors may be shifted in front of or in back of each other to provide access to the space behind the members, and

wherein the mirrors are so arranged and organized that several may be swung to different angular positions when the door members are closed, thereby to provide front, left and right side, and partially-rear views of a person standing before the door members.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved sliding door and mirror combination as above set forth, wherein the mirrors are substantially full length, to provide full-length views of the person.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide an improved combination door and mirror structure in accordance with the above, which is simple and economical to construct, easily operated, and reliable in use over an extended period of time.

A feature of the invention resides in the provision of a novel mirror and door construction as above characterized, wherein the mirrors constitute an attractive and ornamental addition to the furnishings of a room or living area.

Other features and'advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the drawings accompanying this specification, similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts wherever possible in the several views, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a door and mirror construction made in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a top or plan view of the construction shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view enlarged, showing details of the frictional catch and hand-grip means associated with the two side or end doors.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 the improved sliding door and mirror combination of this invention may utilize the usual type of frame or jamb structure defining a rectangular opening, as for a closet or the like. The frame structure 10 has the usual vertical end jambs 11 and a top frame or molding part 12.

In accordance with this invention a plurality of sliding doors 13, 14 and 15, here shown as three in number are provided to close the space defined by the frame 10. As shown in Fig. 2, the center door 14 is disposed in a plane located slightly to the rear of the side or end doors 13 and 15, and the latter two doors are disposed in a common frontal plane, thereby to enable either one of the end doors 13, to be shifted in front of the center door 14. Also, by the above arrangement the center door 14 may be shifted either to the right or left, behind either of the end doors 13, 15 thereby to provide ready access to any portion of the closet or space disposed at the rear of the doors.

To guide the doors 13, 14 and 15 any usual type of 2,807,192 Patented Sept. 24, 1957 ice roller guide construction may be utilized, and details of such construction are not given herein since they form no pamper se, of the present invention. By the invention the center door 14 is provided with a mirror panel 17, and the end doors 13 and 15 are provided with mirror panels 18 and 19, said latter panels being mounted on the end doors by hinges 20 disposed at those edges of the panels which are closest to the center door 14. The mirror panels 18 and 19 are preferably at least flush witth or recessed in their respective doors 13 and 15, and are retained in these flush or recessed positions shown by any suitable frictional detent means.

Preferably, as provided by the invention, the end doors 13 and 15 have elongate, vertical cutouts or recesses 21 approximately midway of their length, Figs. 1 and 3, and the mirror panels 18 and 19 have recesses 22 in the edge portions thereof disposed adjacent the cutouts 21, thereby to enable a person to readily swing open the mirror panels by inserting the fingers in a cutout 21 and pulling forward the desired panel.

An advantageous detent means for the mirror panels 18 and 19 is shown in Fig. 3, and comprises a plate 24 having a dished portion 25 which is apertured to receive a wood screw 26 by which the plate is secured to an edge portion of an end door. The mirror panels 18 and 19 may have ball detents 27 spring-urged outward by coil springs 28 secured in recesses 29 in the framing of the panels. Plates 30 may be provided to retain the ball detents 27 in operative positions.

In accordance with this invention, as provided by the above construction, either one or both of the mirror panels 18, 19 may be swung forward when all the doors are in closed positions, thereby to enable the mirrors to reflect front, left and right side and partially rear views of a person standing in front of the center door 14. There is thus had the same viewing effect obtained from the mirrors in clothing stores, show rooms, etc. where it is imperative that a person see not only a front view of himself or herself but also rear and side views. The end mirror panels 18 and 19 when retracted or folded flush with the doors 13 and 15 provide, in conjunction with the center mirror panel 17 a desirable ornamental effect, and enable either of the doors to be slid in the usual manner to reveal the interior of the closet.

The structure as set forth above is seen to be relatively simple an economical to fabricate, requiring but the usual type of components or framing structures and obviating any necessity for special fittings, guides, etc. to suspend and guide the doors.

The cutouts 21 provide advantageous hand grips by which the end doors 18, 19 may he slid to the left or right, and recessed finger grip 32 may be provided on the center door 14, to enable it to be readily slid one way or the other.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of the claim and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

I claim:

A combination sliding door and mirror construction comprising three door members, one door member being normally in the center and the other door members being on opposite sides of the center member, said center member being disposed slightly to the rear of the side members; means mounting said members in end to end relation for sliding movements, said means enabling the members to be shifted to superposed and underposed positions, thereby to provide access to the space behind them; three mirror panels, one panel being secured to and recessed in the center door member; and means hingedly mounting the two remaining mirror panels in recesses in the remaining door members, thereby to enable said hinged panels to be swung forward, when the door members are in closed positions, and constitute with the remaining References Cited in the file of this patent panel a foldable mirror asesmblage to afiord front, side UNITED STATES PATENTS and partially rear views of an object placed before the panels, said side door members having frames provided 831,549 Garfinkle Sept 1906 With vertically extending cutouts adjacent the free edges 5 10781502 Herrmann 1913 of the mirror panels carried thereby to enable a user to FOREIGN PATENTS readily grasp said panels and swing the sameout of said frames; and rigid, opaque backing panels on the side door members, disposed in back of said mirror panels.

538,976 France Mar:- 27, 1922 

